Eyewear with specialized lenses can be used in conjunction with specialized two-dimensional images to present the wearer with a three-dimensional (3D) image. Current 3D eyewear is generally made from cheap materials. Conventional 3D eyewear frames are often made of paper or thin plastic, and conventional 3D lenses are generally planar. In addition to being relatively inexpensive, planar lenses have the advantage that the line of sight of the wearer, when looking straight ahead, generally crosses the posterior surface of the lens normal to the lens surface, yielding little distortion.
However, planar lenses have several disadvantages. Eyeglasses using planar lenses leave a significant portion of the wearer's peripheral vision uncovered, allowing peripheral light to directly reach the wearer's eyes. 3D eyeglasses having planar lenses do not conform well to the shape of the wearer's head and thus often cause discomfort even when worn for short periods of time (e.g., during a movie). Planar lenses are also undesirable for aesthetic style reasons.
Thus, there exists a need for curved lenses for use in 3D eyewear that minimize optical distortions.